diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 4f53233663..119f258b11 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -325,7 +325,12 @@ jobs:
           # -p 2 permits concurrent compilation/testing in rest on the public
           # 4-vCPU / 16-GB runner, leaving headroom for the linker. tui3 and
           # session use four shards; codeaf runs its suite without sharding.
-          ./scripts/touched-verdict.sh run --base "$BASE" --shards 4 --report "$TMPDIR/$LEG.json" $PACKAGES
+          # CODEAF'S ONE TEST BINARY GETS 25 MINUTES, AND ONLY IT. Sharding cmd/codeaf
+          # was tried and its sharded runs failed (#1734), and its serial suite measured
+          # 1065 s (17.8 min) on this runner on 2026-11-03, over the Makefile's 15m, so
+          # every test after the cut went unchecked. The other legs pass no --timeout and
+          # keep the Makefile's 15m. Drop this once the suite is back under 15 minutes.
+          ./scripts/touched-verdict.sh run --base "$BASE" --shards 4 ${{ matrix.leg == 'codeaf' && '--timeout 25m' || '' }} --report "$TMPDIR/$LEG.json" $PACKAGES
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         if: always()
         with:
diff --git a/cmd/codeaf/appworkstreams_conformance_test.go b/cmd/codeaf/appworkstreams_conformance_test.go
index e3cb621e43..c236c94605 100644
--- a/cmd/codeaf/appworkstreams_conformance_test.go
+++ b/cmd/codeaf/appworkstreams_conformance_test.go
@@ -1294,10 +1294,33 @@ func workstreamWireError(t *testing.T, contract *workstreamWireContract, files m
 	}
 }
 
-// Hold a writer on a separate handle to the same real store. The backend must
-// exhaust the normal busy timeout and translate that refusal on the wire.
+// Hold a real writer on a second handle to the same store. Shorten only the
+// backend's lock wait to 200 ms on its single connection so the case proves the
+// real SQLITE_BUSY -> ErrBusy -> wire "busy" path without waiting ten seconds.
+// Production keeps internal/workspace's 10-second wait. The refusal still says
+// "(waited 10s)" because storeError uses that constant; conformance checks the
+// code and a non-empty message, not that text.
 func workstreamWireHoldWriter(t *testing.T, backend *appBackend) func() {
 	t.Helper()
+	if backend.collections == nil {
+		t.Fatal("busy fixture must seed the backend's collections store before holding a writer")
+	}
+	const workstreamBusyTimeoutMS = 200
+	if err := backend.collections.Write(context.Background(), func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
+		_, err := tx.Exec(fmt.Sprintf("PRAGMA busy_timeout = %d", workstreamBusyTimeoutMS))
+		return err
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set backend busy timeout: %v", err)
+	}
+	var ms int
+	if err := backend.collections.Read(context.Background(), func(tx *sql.Tx, _ int) error {
+		return tx.QueryRow("PRAGMA busy_timeout").Scan(&ms)
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read backend busy timeout: %v", err)
+	}
+	if ms != workstreamBusyTimeoutMS {
+		t.Fatalf("backend busy timeout = %d ms, want %d ms", ms, workstreamBusyTimeoutMS)
+	}
 	other, err := workspace.Open(backend.collectionsPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/docs/changes/unreleased/2296-codeaf-leg-finishes-in-ci.md b/docs/changes/unreleased/2296-codeaf-leg-finishes-in-ci.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43ebe1f0cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changes/unreleased/2296-codeaf-leg-finishes-in-ci.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+kind: internal
+title: The cmd/codeaf touched leg gets a 25-minute timeout; the conformance busy case waits 200 ms
+pr: 2296
+surface: [build]
+invalidates: []
+---
+
+The package's serial suite measured 17.8 minutes on the CI runner, over the
+15-minute timeout, so tests after the cut went unchecked. Only the codeaf leg
+changes; the other legs keep 15 minutes.
diff --git a/docs/rules/ci.md b/docs/rules/ci.md
index 26957c0922..0430a2e3d1 100644
--- a/docs/rules/ci.md
+++ b/docs/rules/ci.md
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ root-module packages. Module changes select the whole tree; changes without Go
 or module edits select no package leg. Tests run fresh with `-count=1` in
 separate chat, session, command and remaining-package jobs. Heavy packages are
 sharded from one compiled test binary, with a 15-minute timeout per shard.
+`cmd/codeaf` runs unsharded in its own leg; its serial suite measured 17.8
+minutes on 2026-11-03, so that leg alone passes a 25-minute package timeout.
+Drop this exception once the suite is back under 15 minutes.
 
 ## Local verification